Opening a Business in Bismarck, North Dakota

Contemplating starting a business in Bismarck, North Dakota? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Bismarck.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Most new companies don't make it, in part because the business owner did not have the perseverance and abilities that are necessary to succeed. So, before you start your business, consider all of the implications of being an entrepreneur.

Before you move forward with starting a business, be sure to do these three things:

Speak with other entrepreneurs in Bismarck. Get their candid feedback on what it takes to start a successful business.

You should read Starting a Company. It's a good read for those who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.

Talk it over with a close friend or partner. A support network of family and friends can be a great sounding board for good advice before you decide for sure to go into business.

Bismarck, North Dakota Demographic Information

Bismarck has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Bismarck demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Bismarck.

Business Size

# ofBusinesses

1-4 Employees

11055

5-9 Employees

4221

10-19 Employees

3330

20-49 Employees

2025

50-99 Employees

639

100-249 Employees

288

250-499 Employees

126

500-999 Employees

27

1000+ Employees

18

All Bismarck Businesses

21729

As a new Bismarck entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Bismarck for each business category. By looking at this chart, you can get a general sense for how much competition there is in the business niche that you are pursuing.

Note on Bismarck Franchise Opportunities: To find out if a franchise you are interested in is available in Bismarck, you will need to get in direct contact with the franchisor.

Choosing a Business Name

A big decision when starting a company is choosing a company name. Believe it or not, choosing a good company name can be a big contributor to your business success.

We strongly advocate that you make sure the ".com" domain name is available for your company name. Every business needs a strong Web presence these days, and having a non ".com" domain means somebody else may outrank you in the search results for your own company name.

Numerous company naming issues are discussed in more detail in this article: Naming a Company.

On a final note, given that you are planning on starting a business in Bismarck, it's imperative that you check now that no other North Dakota company is using the business name you want to use.

Company Formation in Bismarck, North Dakota

It's essential that your business is formed as a legal entity that is separate from its owners. Doing so will shield you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a corporation, LLC, sole proprietorship, partnership or other structure.

Incorporation is a very popular way to form a business. Of course, you have to decide which type of corporation to form and where to incorporate. Just because you are starting a business in North Dakota, it doesn't mean you are required to incorporate in North Dakota. In fact, you can incorporate wherever you want. For example, it's very popular to incorporate in Delaware, and incorporating in Nevada has become very trendy as well. Don't forget, though, that you will have to register as a foreign entity in all states that you do business in.

There's a lot to know about forming a company. To learn the basics of company formation, browse articles on our site, such as Corporate Formalities. You may also want to seek the advice of an attorney. Finally, if you are starting a business in Bismarck, North Dakota, our information on Incorporating in North Dakota may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in North Dakota.

Marketing Your New Business

Whether your goal is to attract Bismarck customers or you plan on selling elsewhere, having an excellent marketing plan is fundamental to your business achieving its goals.

You can learn all about marketing on our site. Examples of Marketing Strategies discusses marketing strategy and tactical marketing in a way that should get you thinking about how to creatively promote your business. That's just a taste of the many useful articles we have on Marketing a Small Business.

Now It's Up To You

Most new Bismarck businesses underestimate the number of challenges they will face.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

This site is all about helping entrepreneurs in Bismarck and elsewhere to achieve real success. We want to be there for you to answer your business questions, whether you are a new Bismarck entrepreneur who is just getting started or you are already up and running with your new venture.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Bismarck, North Dakota

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Bismarck.

North Dakota Small Business Development Center - The North Dakota Small Business Development Center's mission is to provide high quality business assistance in the form of counseling, training, and research to existing and prospective North Dakota small businesses.